ForgetmeNot
by Piikkum
Summary: [Sora X Riku AU] Forget-me-Not : flower that symbolizes true love
1. Exhaustion

Forget-me-Not

Piikkum

Disclaimers – Kingdom Hearts belongs to Square and Disney not to me.

Pairings – Sora x Riku

A/N: Okay, well. This thing is rated R for a reason. Violence, blood, swear words, and you guys will have to put up with Sora's hornyness. ^^; Yes. He plans on doing much kinkiness to Riku.  O.o Hmmm well technically Sora isn't taller than Riku but hey, my fic, my rules! Besides, I like spoiling Riku kekeke so… for those of you wondering (you naughty bastards you) Sora's the more dominant one so he'll be on top. O.o; I didn't just say that.

__

Funny. Here I am standing here, alive when you're gone from this earth.  Probably up in the heavens on some fucking cloud smiling down at me. There's nothing to smile at.  By all means, I should be dead. It should be me instead of you. What had you hoped to accomplish by dying? Save me? Don't you know that you're killing me slowly? Selfish bastard. Don't you know? When you died, you took my heart with you…

C H A P T E R O N E - E X H A U S T I O N

"I'm back."

Sora didn't look up from the frying pan, stirring the contents quickly with wooden chopsticks.  "What took you?" Riku sighed, throwing his book bag onto a battered couch and plopped himself down next to it, elbows propped up at the top of the old thing. Plating the contents and dumping the still steaming pan into the sink, Sora crossed the room and settled himself next to his boyfriend, studying the pale boy carefully.

"What's wrong?"

Riku yawned, turning his body and laying his head down on Sora's lap. "Nothing.  Just a bit tired," he replied, rubbing his half-lidded eyes. 

The brunette snorted softly, stroking the silken mess spilling over his lap.  "You shouldn't push yourself so hard. You have school and you have to take care of Kairi. On top of that you landed that job with that Ansem guy. That shady bastard. I still think you oughta stay away from him."

"Where else am I going to find a job with the kind of money Ansem pays me?  Besides, how am I supposed to support you guys with the income I'd get anywhere else? You and Kairi manage to eat about 50% of what I bring home anyway."

Sora laughed softly, his hands still absently toying with the silver strands.  "I know, I know.  Just watch your back, okay love? I just don't trust that Ansem. It'd be better if he was some cross-dressing bar wench far away from you. Anyways, you hungry? I made you some stir fry." 

Riku shook his head. "Nah, I'm just gonna settle for a shower and some sleep.  Leave the stir fry for Kairi when she gets home. You know she loves that junk." The pale boy sat up, stretching languidly before hopping off the couch and making his way to the master bedroom.  "Oh, and I might have to go out during the middle of the night. Something for Ansem. Let me know if he calls, alright?"

After hearing the door's faint click, Sora sighed and made his way to the sink.  Being Riku's boyfriend was no walk in the park. 'Damn that moody bastard for having me wrapped around his finger,' he thought vehemently as he attacked the old pan with a nasty yellow sponge. He was in too deep to back out now, so deep in love that he had moved in with Riku and his sister, Kairi.  'Yeah. Trust that ass for driving every sane thought out of my head.' His expression softened as he toyed with the greasy foam from his violent scrubbing. He knew he wouldn't be able to leave Riku, no matter what. The boy just drove him crazy and weak at the same time. 

A sly smile crept onto his face. 'Plus, the sex is great so why am I complaining?' He set the dripping pan into the plastic drainer and sighed, resting his hands on the sink edge. The only thing that was truly bugging him was the fact that he had only a vague idea of what Riku's job actually was, and even that small image was not a very pleasant one.

What he could figure out on his own was that Ansem was indeed into some pretty shady shit. A renowned drug dealer and leader of the city's very own 'mafia' did not help make the image any more pleasant. He wished Riku would really cut off all ties with that guy before he got himself into trouble.

With a sigh, the brunette made his way across the carpeted living room and silently opened the door to the master bedroom. Already sound asleep in the bed, burrowed under miles of comforters was Riku, silver hair still damp from his shower. A small smile tugged at Sora's lips as he quietly walked towards the sleeping angel, feet making no sound on the rich carpet. The brunette sat down at the edge of the bed and Riku was lifted gently from his prison of blankets and into Sora's arms, his head resting on the tanned boy's shoulders. The fair-haired boy stirred, nuzzling against the tan neck sleepily. "Always been a light sleeper," Sora mused softly, planting a kiss on top of the damp hair. "Shouldn't sleep like that. You'll get a headache." A faint snort came from the semi-sleeping figure in his arms. His lips trailed down and rested on a smooth forehead; the pale boy's familiar pear soap wafting up and greeting his nose. 

Though he was one year younger than the sleeping 17 year old in his arms, Sora was definitely meatier than the skinny boy. Over the course of their relationship, Sora had gained 3 inches in height over his boyfriend, which he would "accidentally" bring up every once in a while. Still, even though he was in fact younger, he had always felt extremely protective over his seemingly reckless boyfriend. He wondered with faint amusement, fingers combing through the silken damp locks, if the older boy's rash behavior would be the end of him.

The sound of the front door opening shook him out of his reverie. Laying the sleeping boy down gently and piling the comforters back onto the slim body, he made his way out into the kitchen.  "You're home awfully late tonight," he said, greeting the shorthaired brunette with amusement laced in his words. Kairi dropped her backpack at the edge of the coat hanger and loosened her scarf, grinning. "Sorry. Drama practice was long today. The teacher decided to be a bitch." 

Nodding, Sora gestured to the wrapped plate on the counter. "That's for you.  Heat it up before you eat it. It's getting late so don't stay up too late." Turning around, he padded towards the closed door of his bedroom. "Oh, and you might wanna turn up the radio tonight.  I feel that I might be doing some... strenuous activities with your brother tonight," he said, grinning over his shoulder and flashing her a quick wink. Kairi looked mortified.

Quietly opening the door and entering the dark room, he lowered himself onto his side of the bed.  One arm found its way tightly around a thin waist while his fingers gently outlined soft, pink lips. Emerald eyes regarded him sleepily. "Mmmm… Something bothering you?" Riku slurred, rubbing his eyes with his hand. 

Sora grinned sheepishly. "Sorry baby, couldn't help myself with you looking all sweet and innocent there," he said, his hand massaging his boyfriend's back. 

Riku 'hn'ed softly, amusement shining in his soft green eyes. "Sora, you horny bastard. How do I ever put up with you?" Full lips met pale ones as Sora attacked him with a passionate kiss, rendering the pale boy breathless. "I don't know. Why don't I show ya?"

Meanwhile in the bedroom next to theirs, the unfortunate Kairi slept with her radio on full blast and a pillow crammed over her head, muttering something about men thinking only with their dicks.

[ # ]

His cell phone rang, shaking the fair-haired boy from his pleasant sleep.  Muttering, he picked it up and answered with a sleepy, "Hello?"

"Hello, Riku. Deepest apologies for waking you up so late at night, but I'll be requiring your services at this moment. Meet my men and me down at the usual place. It'll be just some physical labor, but I'll be sure to give you extra on your next paycheck. That's all for now. Wear something dark." Click.

Riku groaned, detangling himself from Sora's arms and legs. Throwing on his usual choice of dark garments, he made his way quietly out of the house and disappeared into the night.

[ # ]

Beep beep beep beep! Beep beep beep beep!

With a groan, Sora slammed the snooze button down on the annoying invention and turned around, feeling at the pile of blankets next to him instead of where his boyfriend should be. He sat up with a curse. "Wake up at fucking 5 in the morning without a hot ass to ravish," he muttered angrily, staggering into the bathroom and grabbing his toothbrush. 

He entered the kitchen, lazily brushing his teeth as he turned on the coffee machine. A quiet cough caught his attention and he turned around, glancing at the brunette sitting at the kitchen counter. She smirked. "What? No early morning sexapade with my brother?" 

Sora scowled, rinsing his mouth in the kitchen sink. "Aren't annoying little girls still supposed to be asleep this time in the morning?" 

Kairi shrugged. "Anyway, I would like 2 eggs, sunny side up with bacon and OJ."

The older brunette snorted, reaching for the frying pan. "I'm not your bitch.  You should at least say 'please', or 'thank you', preferably something along the lines of 'Oh dear Mr. Magnificent Studly Man-God, please, prepare breakfast for a worthless wench like me with your 5 star cooking skills and I shall be your slave for eternity.'" 

Kairi laughed. "No sir. Breakfast is the least you can do for ME considering how LOUD you were with your 'strenuous activities with my brother.'" 

Sora grinned, cracking the egg into the oiled pan. "Dear Kairi, you know you're always welcome to join us," he replied, turning to her with a wink. She rolled her eyes then looked down, suddenly very interested with the floral napkin she held crumpled in her hand.

"I was thinking of getting Riku to quit. If I just tell him th-"

"Tell me what?" The two whirled around, surprised to see the pale boy back without a sound. Riku stood in the middle of the room, gripping the top of the couch tightly as if he'd fall over if he'd let go. "Tell me what?" he repeated, exhaustion lacing his voice. 

Sora crossed the room, arms wrapping around the tired boy in a gentle hug.  "Hey, you okay? You look like you're dead." He was given a glare. "Which is still pretty damned hot. Why don't you ditch and catch some sleep? I'll tell your teachers that you're sick or something." Riku shook his head, breaking away from Sora. 

"I have a little over an hour before school. I'm gonna shower and catch a quick nap," he said, making his way to his room. Sora reached out, grabbing the thin wrist of his lover. Riku turned slightly as the taller boy walked over, planting a kiss on top the fair head. 

"Don't push yourself, okay?"

[ # ]

Ansem walked down the dark hallway. Crude candelabras hung from walls, the faint light bouncing off the cobblestone walls. He stopped in front of two dark, mahogany doors and knocked. "Come in." He pushed aside one of the doors and walked into a grand, richly decorated room. Kneeling on one knee, he waited expectantly for his superior's instructions. "Rise," came a regal voice.  The man stood, shifting uneasily from one foot to the other. 

Maleficent was an extremely powerful and influential woman, the financial backing of nearly all the guilds that reside in the area. Not only had she the power to destroy your very existence, she was more well-known for her deceptiveness and cunningness. However, it was not her that was making him edgy. Her home was a cold, gothic mansion, the former headquarters for the Heartless guild. Death lingered in every room and hallway of the mansion. Heartless members were known for slaying their victims in a crude, torturous manner and rooms were often littered with mangled corpses and lakes of blood. He shuddered, thinking of all, if any, of the supernatural activity that had been going on here. It was rumored that sights of the victims and ghostly screams drove some members past the line of sanity, where their  murderous activities became even more frenzied. 

"You must know why I called you here," she said coolly, her voice breaking him out of his reverie.

Ansem nodded. "I already have the boy in my grasps. All I need is to finish through with the original plan to guarantee his stay with us." 

Maleficent narrowed her eyes. "No more mistakes. The boy is essential if we wish to revive the Heartless guild. 

The silver-haired man bowed. "No more mistakes."

[to be continued]

AN: Yeah okay so Maleficent is the boss of Ansem. Sue me (please don't .')! Anyway, much thankie to Katu for putting up with my horrible  grammar and such!


	2. Promise

Forget-me-Not

Piikkum

Disclaimers – Yadda yadda

Pairings – Sora x Riku

A/N: Well, I honestly wasn't planning to continue writing fanfics. I just wasn't interested anymore, and was really dissatisfied with my writing. ; Whoops, well I came back, whaddaya know. Luckily, I only wrote one chapter of this bloody fic so continuing shouldn't be too big of a problem. I'm still going to stick to the original plot. nod

C H A P T E R T W O – P R O M I S E

The class was quiet, save for the scratch of chalk on the blackboard. Finishing off the last of his words, Squall set the chalk down and turned to face the class. "Hollow Bastion. Can anyone tell me what that is?" The man paused, scanning the roomful of drowsy students. 28 blank faces stared back at him and one was planted face down on the table, asleep. Squall sighed. "Riku, I would appreciate it if you joined the class, for once," he said dryly.

"It was the supposed hideout for the Heartless. Though, the existence of such a stronghold was never proven," the silver-haired boy murmured, getting up just enough to prop his head up with his arm.

Squall blinked. "Excuse me?"

"You asked what Hollow Bastion was. I answered," Riku replied coolly, meeting the teacher's eyes with a tiny smirk on his face.

A ghost of a smile played on Squall's lips. "Well, you're correct, Riku. And while you're at it, why don't you tell us who the Heartless are?"

"Pretty much a band of ruthless murderers. They live to instill fear amongst people, since their targets were almost never found and the few that are found are hopelessly mutilated. All of the targets had been women, and the corpses had a similar wound on the left chest. An empty cavity where the heart had once been. Now, can I go back to sleep?"

The man chuckled. "Very well, Riku. Anyway, the Heartless were not just a bunch of glorified terrorists. They were a cult, a brotherhood of only the most elite of the elite. 154 cases of kidnapping and murderer held against the Heartless and not a singe one of them brought to trial."

The bell rang. Students gathered their belongings quickly and piled towards the door.

"Riku, can I see you for a second?"

The kids quickly emptied out. Squall shut the door, blocking out the chaos of the passing period. He sighed heavily and leaned against door, crossing his arms. "You know what this is going to be about."

"Yeah."

"God damn it, Riku. How many times, in just this week alone, have you slept in my class? You know that I'll put up with this shit, but how many other teachers are going to? You can't afford to get expelled, Riku. You know that. Just quit your job and put more effort into school."

"No. I can't afford to lose my job and YOU know that. YOU know the kind of conditions I have to live with. You know the people I have to support. How the fuck am I supposed to make ends meet sitting at school twiddling my thumbs? Don't give me shit about this. You don't know what it's like."

Squall pursed his lips, masking his emotions to hide how much those words stung. The man never had a son, and Riku, never a real father. Over the years, they had developed a kind of surrogate father-son relationship. Whenever Riku needed help, Squall was there, offering support and advice. And love. He just wasn't ready to get pushed away yet.

"No, I don't know what it's like. I can't force you to do anything you don't want to, Riku. I can only advise you like I've been doing for these past years." He smiled sadly. "Even a hero needs his rest."

The pale boy snorted. "Yeah yeah." Gathering up his things, he headed for the door, pausing only to utter "thanks" to his teacher before walking out.

[#]

The house was still empty by the time Kairi had finished her shower. She glanced up at the clock and frowned. '8:50 and they're still not home…' The slim girl wandered into the kitchen, hands busily wrapping a towel neatly around her wet hair. Double checking the lock on the door, she sighed and lowered herself onto the couch.

She swallowed thickly. These couple of days had run smoothly, despite a growing sense of foreboding that gnawed in her gut. Something was about to happen.

The front door groaned slowly to an open, as if hearing her thoughts. Kairi whipped her head around, staring at the empty doorway. "…Riku? Sora?" she asked tentatively. Silence answered her question. She stood and approached the door cautiously and peered outside. Nothing.

"Who are you looking for, precious?" came a raspy voice behind her. Kairi jumped and tried to turn around. Too slow.

[#]

The night was crisp and quiet, save for an occasional rustle of the October wind. Sora's arm was draped around a content Riku as the two made their way home. Dinner had been nice. Sora had surprised his lover by taking him to his favorite Japanese restaurant. Now, they headed home where a comfortable bed awaited them. A smug smile graced Sora's lips. A fondling session was definitely in order. The stars winked at the pair from the heavens while the moon smiled down knowingly.

They had barely made it to the door before Sora dove in, pressing Riku against the side of the house, planting kisses on the pale neck. The silver-haired boy chuckled, gently pushing Sora back. "Not here. The neighbors are going to complain again." The brunette groaned in frustration. "Bed. Now," he growled, fishing for his keys to open the door.

Sora had only to touch the door as it began to open. The brunette blinked in surprise. "Kairi, you forgot to close the damn door properly," he said, stepping inside. His eyes scanned the empty house as Riku shut the door behind him. "Uh… Kairi?"

"What's wr…" he trailed off, his eyes falling on the damp towel on the floor. Sora could only watch helplessly as his lover paled and stormed off through every room, shouting Kairi's name. "Riku…" Sora's voice wavered with uncertainty. "She's not-"

"Shut up! God…" Riku ran both hands through his hair, gripping it slightly as if wanting to tear it out. "I'm gonna go look for her," he said softly, heading towards the door.

"Riku stop. The hell I'm going to just let you out there by yourself."

"And what the hell do YOU propose to do? Weigh our fucking options over tea and crumpets? While Kairi is god knows where?!" The teen's voice cracked and his anger seemed to melt away, leaving only guilt and grief.

"God damnit… Riku…" Sora whispered, stepping forward to take Riku in a tight embrace. "Look, everything's going to turn out fine. We'll find Kairi, I promise. I just don't want you get hurt in the process."

The ring of Riku's cellphone caused both occupants of the room to jump. With shaking hands, the silver-haired boy answered the phone.

"Kairi?"

"A little bird alerted me of your sister's kidnapping. I've asked my men to scour the city and so far they have found only a lead. I need you to do absolutely nothing. I cannot guarantee your sister's safety should you get in the way." Click.

Riku closed his eyes, wanting to scream in frustration. He felt Sora tighten his embrace; the brunette had obviously overheard the conversation.

"Sora?"

The taller boy slackened his grip, looking down at his lover. "Yeah?"

Riku reached up and kissed him deeply. It wasn't a kiss of passion, or lust. It was one of need. Riku needed Sora's support, he needed Sora to be there when he is about to collapse. Breaking off the kiss, the pale boy buried his face into Sora's chest, choking out, "Don't you ever leave me like that. Don't you ever fucking leave me."

Sora kissed the top of the silken mass of hair, hugging the shivering boy tightly. "Gods, Riku," he whispered. "I promise. I won't ever leave. I promise."

Outside, the stars winked down from the heavens and the moon smiled knowingly.

[to be continued]

A/N: ee That's a bit longer than I planned. Excuse the boringness of this chapter. Hopefully, things will start to kick up in chapters to come.


	3. Speak

Forget-me-Not

Piikkum

Disclaimers – You've heard this already.

Pairings – Sora x Riku

C H A P T E R T H R E E - S P E A K

The rest of the night had been lost in the midst of heated kisses and smoldering touches. Sora had paid extra attention to his lover that night, making sure the silver-haired boy's needs were met before he even began to focus on himself.

It hadn't taken very long for Riku to climax; the normally reserved boy had thrown himself into their nocturnal "activities" with such ardor that had taken Sora completely by surprise.

Riku had fallen into a deep slumber shortly after, curling up next to the brunet and leaving Sora a pocket of time in which he'd actually begun to /think, which was not something that happened often. But neither was Riku's breakdown. His iron-willed lover had, since his childhood, meticulously constructed a veil of ice that often masks his expressions, making him impossible to read. He hated having to rely on others and often took it upon himself to cater to the needs of both Kairi and Sora. Even iron will bend, Sora mused. And when Riku had shattered, Sora had been right behind him, picking up the broken pieces of his lover.

The pale boy shifted uneasily in his sleep.

Sora closed his eyes and pulled Riku's slender frame towards him, gently stroking a pale cheek.

But what would happen if Sora did not know how to put those pieces back together?

+and+

Waking up to an empty bed alerted Sora's sleep-fogged mind that his lover was awake. He frowned. Contrary to popular belief, it was the brunet who was the early riser of the two; his lover treasured what precious moments of sleep he could catch so much that he refused to wake unless it was absolutely necessary.

He found Riku sitting at their tiny kitchen table, nursing what seemed like a lukewarm cup of coffee and staring off into space. Quietly, Sora pulled a chair and sat down across from the pale boy, his unspoken question hung in the air even before his lips materialized the words themselves.

"You okay?"

His lover was quiet for a moment, staring at his coffee as if looking for an answer.

"I want to get away."

"…What? You- Get away? What do you mean?"

"Away from… this. This apartment. This life." He chuckled weakly, then looked away from his drink as if disgusted. "It's suffocating me."

The small kitchen was quiet. Sora didn't know how to respond, if he even should respond. Tentatively, he reached out and clasped Riku's pale hands in his, squeezing gently.

"We'll see this through."

"Ansem… He… he called this morning and he wants me to come live in this guild house of some sort. Apparently, he has a couple of his men stationed there to spy." Riku glanced up to gauge the brunet's reaction. "He thinks that Kairi is being held there," he finished hurriedly, catching his lover's panicked expression.

Another moment of silence.

"You're leaving?" _You're leaving me?_

"I… I don't know yet. I haven't…"

He stood up abruptly, his face alight with a faint glimmer of hope as he stretched out his hand to Sora.

"Come with me?" _Please?_

Sora stared alternately between the outstretched hand and Riku's hopeful face.

"I don't… I don't know."

Riku's smile faltered and his hand dropped down to his side. It was for the best, Sora reasoned. If he doesn't tag along with Riku, there would be less of a chance for the pale boy to accept Ansem's offer. He wasn't about to have Riku running into some "guild house" that Ansem had suggested. He wasn't about to let Riku have anything to Ansem.

It was for the best.

Riku turned away, murmuring about having to go to work before he retreated into his room to get dressed.

It was for the best, keeping Riku as close to him as possible.

Then why did he have this feeling as if he's already lost him?

+and+

Once again, he found himself summoned by the council. Once again, he found himself kneeling to a bunch of arrogant crackpots that he'd much rather feed to the Heartless.

"How much longer do you plan on taking, my dear Ansem?" Maleficent asked, amusement clearly laced in her resonant voice. "A year perhaps? A century?"

A bout of snickers rippled through the council. Ansem bristled slightly, though his face remained neutral.

"I think he's fucking that whore and keeping him for himself," Ursula boomed, followed by a set of deep chuckles from the council. "I always knew he had a thing for that boy."

"He is almost within my grasps, your eminence," Ansem replied coolly, though he found it harder and harder to keep his emotions in check. "My apologies for taking longer than necessary. I don't want to rouse any suspicions within the boy."

Maleficent arched an elegant eyebrow. "You did not answer my question. When will the boy be here?"

"When the boy's cunt gets too lose," Hades drawled, blowing another puff of a foul smelling drug.

"Then he woulda given th'boy over a long while ago." Oogie Boogie chortled, clasping his liver-spotted hands over his bulging belly. "A thimble woulda even been too big fer 'is cock."

"Enough," Maleficent boomed and instantly, a hush descended over the council.

"It will be done soon," Ansem repeated curtly. "I'm sure I-"

The trill of his cell phone cut through the room. Ansem murmured a quick apology before fishing in his pocket for the tiny device. The caller ID flashed blue on the screen of his phone.

"As a matter of fact, here he is now."

+and+

He did not know how long he sat there before he realized what he should do.

What he needed to do.

He found Riku in their room, stuffing his meager wardrobe into a weathered duffel bag. The pale boy stiffened slightly at Sora's intrusion, but otherwise ignored his lover. The brunette shifted uncomfortably at the doorway.

"Riku, we need to talk."

"There is nothing left to talk about." He folded his black tee into a neat square before packing it away.

"You can't leave."

Pale hands carefully placed the final shirt away and long fingers reached to pull the zipper across the bag.

"Don't leave me."

Riku turned, smiling softly at Sora as he shouldered his bag. The brunette saw the fear and reluctance within those eyes.

"I don't want to leave either," he replied, his voice soft. "But someone's got to save Kairi." The pale boy brushed past his lover as he made his way out of the room. "I just wish I didn't have to do it alone."

Sora's carefully planned speech crumbled at his throat and his mind drew painfully blank as he watched Riku make his way to the front door.

No.

The door opened and bright sunlight spilled into the apartment.

No.

One step out already. His mind wasn't working. He had to do something. All he could think about was…

"Riku!"

The silver-haired boy turned. His hand was outstretched behind him, reaching whether to close the door or to Sora, the brunette couldn't tell. Emerald eyes met turquoise ones expectantly.

Sora hesitated.

And he was gone.

t o b e c o n t i n u e d

A/N: Yes, I freaking live. I just didn't have the motivation to continue this. Seriously. I have a fabulous ending planned already, but I just freaking hate writing the middle of it. Well, not really but it's going to be hard work and heavily consuming time that I don't have to begin with. Unfortunately, things are going to be more serious from here on out, so just a heads up. Ahg. I had to upload this so many times since freaking won't let me use brackets. -

Edit: Thanks, Muffy, for catching my goof!


	4. Frustration

Forget-me-Not

Piikkum

Disclaimers – This was established in the first chapter.

Pairings – Sora x Riku

C H A P T E R F O U R - F R U S T R A T I O N

"**Ri**ku's gone."

Squall looked up from the stack of papers he had been grading to the disheveled brunet at his doorway. "Excuse me?"

"Riku's gone," the boy repeated, calm save for the tightening grip on the doorway. "I need you to help me find him."

The man pushed the stack away, studying the other. "What are you talking about?" He arched a brow. "Was he kidnapped? Did you contact the police?"

The boy shook his head.

"The police isn't going to help. He's with the Heartless, sir, and that's why I need your help."

a n d

The pier was was unusually quiet for this time of day, soundless save for the wail of gulls across the fiery backdrop of the setting sun. He could see no one else around; no fishermen, no ferrymen, no one. It unnerved him.

With even strides, Riku made his way to the motel alongside the pier, pushing aside the dusty glass doors to a dimly lit interior.

The receptionist glanced up at him, pushing his falling spectacles further up the bridge of his nose as he set aside the small wooden doll he had been carving.

"Y-you must be Riku," said the old man, scurrying off his chair towards the key sorter. "A Mr. Ansem is waiting for you, sir." The old man placed a key on the counter, attached to a key chain with the fading number 08 printed on it. "He's in room 8, sir, which is right down this hallway here, sir. You can't miss it." He gestured to his left. "Enjoy your stay, sir. If you need anything, sir, don't hesitate to ask!" The old man beamed at Riku, hands clasped to the front of his apron.

Riku ignored the man and grabbed the keys. He could feel the receptionist's smile follow him as he made his way down the hallway.

a n d

The sleek back Mercedes pulled up soundlessly in front of an apartment complex. Sora stepped out of the car, eyes sweeping over the polished building and whistled.

"Nice."

"I spent years gathering information about the Heartless," Squall explained as he unlocked the front door, revealing, as Sora suspected, an interior to match its owner. Smooth. Immaculate.

"It was my obsession, you could say," he continued, crossing the mahogany floor to a set of closed door across the room.

"But despite all my efforts... everything…" The two doors opened with a crackling groan. "I found nothing."

Sora's eyes widened with surprise.

The study was unlike the rest of the apartment: old fashioned against the contemporary. Three oaken bookcases lined the walls of room, each filled with more books than the brunet cared to count. In the middle rested a modest desk, cluttered with loose leaf papers and charts in a scene of organized chaos.

"Hopefully these will be of more use to you than they were to me."

a n d

True to the old man's words, Riku found the room with ease. Quelling his anxiety, he unlocked the door and stepped inside.

Ansem sat waiting in a tackily upholstered chair, a glass of vodka in his hand and a predatory smile on his face.

"I certainly hope Geppetto didn't keep you too long. It's been a while since the old fool received any business."

"Is this it?"

"You're not one to dally in trivial matters, are you?" The tanned man set aside his glass and stood, slowly advancing towards Riku. "No. This isn't it. In fact, this place has nothing to do with Hollow Bastion. Oh, don't look so surprised." Ansem laid a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Think of this as part of the initiation process."

Riku flinched from the man's touch and took an involuntary step backwards, eyes narrowing. "What the hell do you mean?"

"When you join the Heartless, you will be taken in as my ward. You will belong to me; mind, body and soul."

"And I thought the Heartless were just a band of murderers," the silver-haired boy replied dryly, edging towards the door. "I figured you rape your victims, not you-"

Ansem answered with a backhanded slap across the boy's face and pinned Riku against the wall with a hand to his throat.

"Oh, you misunderstand me, Riku," the man purred, his free hand fumbling in his coat pocket. "You're quite an attractive individual, no mistake. However, you will be begging by the time I finish with you. I wouldn't quite call that rape."

"Go cop a feel from someone else," the boy croaked out, fingers clawing at the hand constricting his throat.

The man chuckled. "I didn't expect you to be willing the first night. Pity, though."

He could feel the point of a needle press into the flesh of his neck and liquid fire surge through his veins. Riku cried out; his muscles convulsed and froze as he slumped, held up by the hand around his neck. The man gathered the limp bundle in his arms. "Pity."

a n d

"You have an idea where to begin? Maybe you'll have more luck than I did."

The brunet exhaled sharply and rubbed his hands together. "Okay. You happen to know where the Heartless attacked the most? That should give us a starting point."

Squall shook his head, pointing over the boy towards the door. "Good luck."

Sora followed the man's gesture, turning to find a map of Traverse to the left of the door. "154 incidents. I marked them all down." The man shook his head. "A waste of time."

The pins protruding from the map were numerous and seemed to follow no logical pattern. Sora squinted at the map; the pins seemed to collect loosely around five points.

"Maybe... you see how these a couple of these pins seem to cluster? Maybe it's shaped like a star, and the hideout is in the middle of it. You know how cults love their pentagrams."

The man studied the map for a second, a frown cut into his features. "No. That's not likely. I can barely make out the clusters, let alone the star." Squall outlined the map lightly with a gloved hand. "No. It wouldn't make sense. There's nothing of importance in the middle of the star."

Sora frowned. The man was right. The guild was obviously conscious about masking the whereabouts of their location.

"Well then," he started cheerily. "Let's hit the books."

a n d

He just had to keep his mind painfully blank. He didn't need to think about where he was, or what was happening. Another stab of pain shot up his spine. He didn't have the energy to cry out anymore. He didn't have the energy to think; he didn't want to, yet he did. It hurt, everything hurt and he could hear Ansem, feel Ansem pound into him, matching the waves of nausea and pain that continually surged over him and he can't move and he's helpless and it hurt and-

He just had to keep his mind painfully blank.

Ansem emptied himself and pulled out with a satisfied groan. The mattress shifted as the other stepped off the bed.

"I will give you a call when you're in a more... fitting state."

Riku could vaguely recall the rustle of clothes and the slam of a door as the other man exited the room. A choking sob escaped the boy's lips.

He just had to keep his mind painfully blank.

a n d

The man set aside the seventh newspaper he'd read and sat back, a hand to his temple. "You should just ask him where he is."

"Think I haven't tried that already?" the boy muttered, tossing the book aside and reaching for an old magazine.

"You're not going to find him this way."

"What the hell do you mean, 'You're not going to find him?'" Sora snapped.

"Five years I've looked for a trail and I didn't find shit. What makes you think this time will be any different?"

"That's it? You're going to give up? On Riku?" he hissed. "Gee, Squall, what determination you have."

"You think you've got it all figured out, don't you?" the man snarled, his normally cool countenance dissolving into rage. "There's only so long you can hope before you realize that it's all fucking _pointless_. Did you think it was easy for me to give up on my wife!"

"Well maybe you would have found her if you didn't fucking _quit_!"

Squall flinched at the last remark and looked away, mouth pressed tightly into a grim line. Sora kept his gaze trained on the desk in front. Neither was willing to speak.

The shrill ring of Sora's phone shattered the thickening silence. The brunet answered it hastily.

"Hello?"

"Monstro," came the reply; the voice opposite the line sounded tired and broken. Riku.

t o b e c o n t i n u e d

A/N: This chapter was surprisingly fun to write, even though there wasn't any SoraxRiku action. Heh. It just took too bloody long for it to get fun. Oh well. I'm getting there. ;D


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